Hi guys, I've been given a series 1 disco with the tdi motor but it has a cracked head.. any ideas what motor I should replace it with? Will the v8 fit? Or will another motor go in there? Have any of you guys done this sort of thing?cheers

It's got 400,000 on it and I don't think the bottom end is all that strong...not sure if its the 300 or 200tdi....I'd like something reliable and my experiences with these are they ain't too reliable....

Kampa, got No idea of the previous life, the first time it came into my work was beacuse the drive belt snapped and it was cooked....Its been sitting with a pot full of coolant for about 5 months now while waiting for the old owner to decide what to do.... shame it had a whole new cooling system done about 3 months prior to this, and new front and rear brakes....so i doubt the bore will be much chop....

I have a 300TDi that came with a cracked head. Looked like it had been overheated, but not 'cooked'. The valve springs were a bit saggy, but everything else seemed OK. Put a new head, springs, valves, timing belt, radiator, hoses etc on and she runs like a dream now. Had about 300 000ks when the work was done, now just over 400 000ks without a hitch. I use it as a daily driver and weekend/holiday tourer.
If it is a 300TDi the it would be worth investing in a new head/top end if the rest of the engine isn't a complete mess. It would then be a case of making sure regular maintenance has been done and a close eye kept on the coolant and oil levels.
In terms of reliability - the 300TDi is a great engine, used in both the Discos and Defenders. Lack of maintenance causes problems with them. The pressurized coolant system and the funny way it works can be problematic if you don't keep an eye on the levels, but other than that they are generally a pretty good thing.